A lot has been made about the quarterback position of the New York Giants this offseason. From the looks of it, they are going to roll with Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback at the start of the 2024 season.
That is something that has created tension between the fan base. There is a large contingent of people who believe the team would be better off moving on from Jones, who is entering the second year of a four-year, $160 million deal he signed in 2023.
Jones was abysmal in the first season of that contract. He was injured twice, the second of which was a season-ending ACL tear. Even when he was healthy and on the field, his production left a lot to be desired.
Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor along with third-stringer, and undrafted rookie free agent Tommy DeVito, looked better during their chances to play. Alas, the supporting cast around the quarterbacks wasn’t very strong last season.
The New York Giants offensive line was awful, ranking near the bottom of the NFL in several categories. Saquon Barkley was the only player opponents had any fear of, and even that was minimal because they knew the offensive line couldn’t get the job done.
That is partly why a former teammate of Jones came to his defense recently. Tight end Darren Waller, who spent last season with the New York Giants but retired this offseason, said it wasn’t his quarterback’s fault for poor performance, placing the blame on the offensive line.
There is certainly truth to the statement that Waller shared. New York did not get the job done in the trenches, oftentimes leaving their quarterback out to dry. Expecting a quarterback to succeed being a middle offensive line and limited weapons is unfair.
But, this wasn’t the first time that Jones struggled in his career. Even when he received excellent blocking, he was unable to execute the play that was made.
At some point, Jones just needs to play better. A franchise quarterback should be elevating the play of the teammates around him, not relying on them to play even an average level of football. He has rarely shown the ability to be a franchise quarterback since the New York Giants selected him at No. 6 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
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